Whether you’re a newcomer to the sport or an experienced driver with some championships under your belt, it’s always a good idea to expand your knowledge and grow your skills in karting. If you want to stay one step ahead of the competition, there are some great karting books that you should read.
The 8 best books for go-kart racing are:
- Learn How To Master The Art Of Kart Driving
- Get Paid To Race
- Karting 101
- Lewis Hamilton: My Story
- Ultimate Speed Secrets
- Race To Win
- The Karting Manual
- Kart Driving Techniques
Good karting books can be difficult to find. It’s a difficult market to explore since there aren’t a lot of authors who have experience in karting. It’s therefore important that you know what to look for in a karting book to make sure you get accurate information that you can use.
- • Packed with great tips
- • Written by a renowned karting coach
- • Teaches you all the fundamentals
- • Great beginner tips
- • Full of actionable guides
- • Written by a karting champion
- • Plenty of useful tips and tricks
- • Great for all levels of experience
- • Covers technical topics
What To Look For In Karting Books
Finding the perfect karting book is difficult. There are plenty of authors out there that aren’t knowledgeable about karting. This is the first thing you need to look out for. If you’re in doubt, you can always do a quick Google search to see what kind of experience the author has with karting, as if they don’t have any, you shouldn’t trust what they say in their book!
Do They Know What They’re Talking About?
If you’re reading a karting book and the author is not using the correct terminology, it’s a pretty clear sign that they’re not an expert in the field. Look out for basic terminology that is often used in karting as this could show that the author knows what they’re talking about.
Another thing to look out for is the actual content of the book. There are some karting books that have a decent title and a nice cover page, but once you start reading it, it turns out that it’s a fictional storybook rather than a technical book that’s going to teach you something. Always make sure you get the right book before you buy it!
Not Just Karting Specific Books
Because karting books are so hard to find, you can’t limit yourself to just looking for karting specific books. As you’ll see in our list below, we’ve added some other books in. Although these are not specifically focused on karting, they will benefit you in one way or another as a driver.
Karting is about a lot more than just driving. There are other elements to consider such as the financial aspect, the mental resilience, focus, your physical fitness, and diet to name a few. Taking a more general approach to books relevant to karting is a good way to ensure you’re covering all the bases.
Different Forms Of Books
Finally, you’ll need to consider the price of the book. Some books can be really expensive in bookstores. You should always see if there’s an eBook available or some form of online transcript as these can save you some money, which is key given the expensive nature of karting itself. Having eBooks also makes them much easier to read and readily available on your preferred device.
The 8 Best Books For Go-Kart Racing
1. Learn How To Master The Art Of Kart Driving
The book Learn How To Master The Art Of Kart Driving has been a staple for karting drivers in Europe for years now. The author, Terence Dove, is one of the most experienced and respected karting coaches in the UK.
This book makes use of karting coach Terence Dove's years of experience teaching some of the best British kart racers, and it's ideal for drivers of all experience levels.
A Credible Source
Terence has coached drivers who have become some of the top British kart racers in the world. His methods work wonders for drivers who are beginners as well as the more experienced drivers out there. Either way, you shouldn’t miss out on what Terence has to offer.
This book goes into detail about everything you need to know about karting. As the title suggests, you’ll become a ‘master of the art’ and the book aims to teach you everything that Terence teaches his young British prodigies who have become world champions.
A Short Read
We love this book because it teaches you the fundamentals of becoming a champion. Everything from unlocking your driving style to becoming better at wet weather driving is available to you in a compact 180 pages. It’s short and sweet, but Terence explains everything you need to know with precision, and he conveys his message excellently.
What’s great about this book is that it’s not just for beginners either. Even if you’re an experienced driver at the front of the grid with some race wins under your belt, we can guarantee that you’ll find something in this book that you didn’t know and that will make you faster once you apply it.
Overall, this is an excellent book for any karting driver who’s looking to improve their skills and knowledge of karting.
2. Get Paid To Race
Get Paid to Race is one of those books that is not specific to karting. However, it is a hugely beneficial book to have in your arsenal as a racing driver. This book gives you everything you need to know about sponsorship. Consider it somewhat of a ‘sponsorship bible’.
This book goes into detail about what it takes to get sponsorships in the racing world, and it gives you actionable tips to attract the right attention.
Lack of sponsorships is a real silent killer for 90% of racing drivers’ careers, and it’s the reason so many don’t make it. You could have immense amounts of talent and skill, but if you don’t have the budget you need, you’ll never get into a team or make it past karting. It’s the sad reality of modern-day motorsport.
Written By Racing Mentor
Get Paid to Race was written by Jess Shanahan, or ‘Racing Mentor’, who is a marketing expert with a passion for race cars. Basically, it’s the perfect combination you need to be the author of this book! She set out to help racing drivers to change their mindset and become more marketable.
The book teaches you how to refine your mindset and change it from racing driver to businessperson. The book even has practical exercises you can do for yourself to make sure you do everything right.
Drivers who have read the book have collectively raised millions of dollars in sponsorship purely by applying the principles that Jess teaches in her book. Whether you want to enjoy karting as a hobby or take your racing career to the next level this is a must have book for your karting library. Implementing these principles as early as possible will give you a huge advantage later in your career.
3. Karting 101
Karting 101 is the perfect book for those who are new to karting. This book will teach you all the fundamentals of kart racing, from driving techniques to the type of gear that you need. This book is essential if you’re just starting out, but it’s even more useful if you pick it up before you start karting.
This is the ideal karting book for beginners, as it goes through the basics of karting and the skills and techniques you need to learn to improve your lap times.
Because of how beginner friendly this book is, it’s a good way to teach yourself about karting. After reading the book you’ll also have a better idea of what to expect when you get started in this relatively simple form of motorsport.
A Qualified Author
The author, Eric S. Gunderson, first got involved in karting in 2004. Karting quickly went from hobby to career for Eric, as he was travelling across the United States competing in multiple championships and, in 2007, he won the regional and national championships.
Not only does he have experience in sprint karting, but he also had some success in oval dirt karting in 2008. Eric founded the Apex Predator Driver Development academy, which teaches some of the best up and coming US karting drivers how to hone their skills.
Why He Wrote The Book
What inspired Eric to write Karting 101 was that he noticed there was a big difference between the knowledge that the pros have compared to the resources that are available for newcomers to the sport.
So, the book was created to minimize that gap between the experienced drivers and those who are just starting out. Eric does so by simplifying the way in which he explains everything you need to know about karting.
If you’re just getting started in karting, this is an essential book for your library. It’ll help you to flatten the learning curve of what can be a complex sport and help you to get on the same page as the more experienced drivers.
4. Lewis Hamilton: My Story
As a karting driver, you’ll probably be taking inspiration from other drivers who have been successful in karting in the past. It’s a good way to motivate yourself in your own career and it’s especially useful for helping you to overcome adversity.
Of course, you can use any driver as inspiration and read their biographies, but we chose Lewis Hamilton’s biography Lewis Hamilton: My Story specifically because he talks a lot about his karting days and his early career. More specifically, he mentions how difficult it was and exactly what helped him to improve his driving and become the driver he is today.
Not All About Karting
Lewis has fond memories of his karting days, and he talks a lot about the events that shaped him as a driver and helped to define his driving style. There’s a lot of useful information that karting drivers can get from this, even though it’s just a small section of his book.
Lewis goes on to explain the process of becoming a Formula 1 driver and he talks about the behind-the-scenes elements that are never mentioned. These are all great to know if you’re aspiring to reach Formula 1 one day, and it all makes for an interesting read too.
Overall, this is a great book that will inspire you as a racing driver. It’s always a good idea to take inspiration from other drivers and take a dive into their journeys. There will be elements that you can use for your own career and to improve your own driving.
5. Ultimate Speed Secrets
Ultimate Speed Secrets is exactly what the name suggests. This book will tell you how to drive faster. Even though it’s not specific to karting, it’s the key to every racing driver’s dream and you can use this book to improve your skills, whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced driver.
This book is packed with information about all things racing, and it's designed to be useful for drivers of all experience levels.
The book was written by Ross Bentley, a professional racing driver and performance coach. He’s raced just about everything on the planet, from supercars to IndyCars, and now he’s poured his years of experience and knowledge into a book. Ross explains everything you need to know about racing, including how to learn new tracks, improve your mental performance, and how to find sponsors.
Relevant To All Forms Of Racing
Even though his book is mostly focused on cars, just about all the information in it is transferrable and relevant to karting. It’s one of the best books you can get as a karting driver, and it’ll even help you to prepare for your future career if you’re planning on moving up to cars at some point.
If you’re a karting driver and you want to improve your all-round abilities, from mental strength to race craft and even marketability, this is a great book that you need to pick up. This book will develop your overall package as a racing driver and help you boost your career.
6. Race To Win
Race to Win has been praised by lots of drivers over the years. It is a guide that will help you to unlock driving secrets that take most drivers years to learn. The book outlines why some drivers are exceptionally fast while others often fail, even though they have the talent and potential to win.
This book provides plenty of actionable tips to help you become a faster driver, and it'll teach you some of the most important lessons in racing.
The author, Derek Daly, was a Formula 1 driver and the late 70s and early 80s. His three decades of experience in motorsport has taught him everything there is to know about being a great racing driver.
Highly Relevant Content
He put all his knowledge and experience into this book, and he conveys some essential messages that every racing driver needs to know if they want to become great at what they do. While it’s not specifically aimed at go-kart drivers, it’s definitely a book you shouldn’t skip out on, as all of Daly’s teachings are just as relevant to karting drivers as they are to Formula 1 drivers.
7. The Karting Manual
The Karting Manual is a great book for newcomers to karting. This book, also known as the Haynes Manual to some karters, is a great handbook that will teach you all the basics that you need to know about karting.
This book is great for beginners, and it's packed with all of the basics about karting, offering practical lessons that will help you go faster on the track.
The book covers some practical explanations that are easy enough for newcomers to understand and implement into their karting careers. But even if you’re an experienced driver you shouldn’t overlook this book, because it does go into detail and discusses aspects of kart setups, which is great for more advanced drivers.
This is another one of those books that you should invest in before you start karting or if you have just started. However, if you’re struggling with getting some good setups for your kart, then this is definitely the book you should get. Most books on this list don’t talk about kart setups enough, even though it is an important part of karting.
8. Kart Driving Techniques
Kart Driving Techniques is another great book if you’re looking for all-round improvement in your karting skills. The author, Jim Hall, founded his own kart racing academy that teaches young drivers the basics of karting and helps them to improve their skills.
This is a book designed to be useful for kart drivers of all experience levels, and it contains valuable tips and tricks that will help you become a better racer.
This book takes you through the fundamentals and helps you to improve them. It goes into even more detail by including more intricate topics such as trail braking and how to have the right mental approach to racing.
Plenty Of Detail
These are important if you want to become a faster driver, and it’s not just important for the newcomers. Some of the more advanced drivers sometimes overlook these details and need to learn the skills that are explained in this book. There are even some chapters on driving shifter karts, which is something you don’t find often in karting books.
Even though this book might be a little older than others on this list, the concepts explained in it are certainly not outdated. Everything from the basics to the more advanced techniques that Jim Hall explains in this book are just as relevant today as they were back in 1999.
Kart Driving Techniques is a great book for drivers of all experience levels. It’s a fantastic all-round improvement book that can help you take your karting career to the next level.
Final Thoughts
All of the karting books in our list above are there to help no matter what area of your karting career you feel lost in. Whether it’s finding sponsors, driving faster, or improving your setups, there’s a book here for every karting situation! However, the best overall is Learn How To Master The Art Of Kart Driving.
I created and have been writing on this site since 2019, collaborating with drivers, coaches, engineers and manufacturers to provide you with the most reliable information about motorsport. Find out more about me here.